Ryan Schmidt specializes in the fusion of dance technique with the poses and fluidity of aerial arts. She brings her style to the stage and to the studio in her training and teaching. Ryan performs, teaches, and trains aerial silks, hoop, hammock, slings, net, harness, and various other aerial apparatuses.

Ryan began her journey in the performing arts with dance lessons at the age of two and has not stopped training and performing since. She has studied ballet, jazz, modern, contemporary, tap, pointe, and hip hop in addition to vocal performance, musical theater, acrobatics, and yoga. At Western Michigan University, Ryan graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and was chosen as the dance department's Presidential Scholar. After college she lived in New York City where she performed with several dance companies, competed with the Top 50 in Las Vegas for So You Think You Can Dance? Season 7, and received her 200-hr certification from ISHTA Yoga in Manhattan. During her time in New York City Ryan also co-created, managed, and performed with the contemporary circus arts company Silk and taught at the world renowned pole and aerial studio Body & Pole.

Ryan performed for 7 years as an aerialist on tour with the dance music festival Life In Color, where she shared the stage with numerous popular DJs and EDM artists like The Chainsmokers, Diplo, Skrillex, Carnage, and Steve Aoki, traveling to over 100 different cities in the U.S. and across the globe, including Seoul, Amsterdam, Santiago, São Paulo, Bogota, Miami, Seattle, Chicago, and New York City. On tour she performed multiple aerial acts including silks, hoop, hammock, slings, net, pyramid, atom, frame, harness, and duo and trio acts. Click here to see photos from Life In Color.

Ryan's other credits span a wide range that include performing aerial acts for Lady Gaga, Guns N' Roses, moe., TLC's Outrageous Kid Parties, vogue.com, and numerous events and private parties at the New York City venues Webster Hall, Tao, Hiro, and Finale. In addition she performed for and contributed aerial choreography to the aerial dance company AERA with Kyra Johannesen and modeled for promotional materials for the inaugural competition of The U.S. Aerial Championships. She danced with Adams Company Dance, OUI Danse, Von Ussar danceworks, Sass n' Betties, The Love Show, and The Nutcracker: Rated R, in addition to performing at Lincoln Center Out of Doors and BC Beat. Find videos by clicking here.

To contact Ryan for booking or inquiries please email ryansealeschmidt@gmail.com.